Arguably the season's most anticipated apple, Honeycrisp are finally ready at Nature's Bounty. This year's Honeycrisp have grown to a large size and are full of juice thanks to the summer rains. The many hot, sunny days helped the apples develop great flavour and lots of sugar, and a few chilly nights have turned the skins a vibrant red. After testing today, these beauties are ready for picking!

We are often asked why Honeycrisp are more expensive than other common varieties like McIntosh or Gala. The answer is that they are more difficult to grow! Honeycrisp trees are inherently less sturdy than other trees and must be supported by a trellis system to hold the weight of the branches. As the fruit matures, it must be aggressively thinned to prevent the tree from overproducing. This process requires many extra hours of manual labour. Finally, Honeycrisp are chalk-full of vitamins and minerals, but the trees have difficulty extracting them from the soil so growers must supplement the trees with calcium, magnesium and copper; another added cost.

In the end, it's hard to beat the crunch, taste and juice that the Honeycrisp offers, which make them satisfying to grow despite the extra costs and labour. We know that many people look forward to Honeycrisp picking each fall so we strive to maintain our supply by planting new trees every few years. We do hope to see you at the orchard this weekend and next while Honeycrisp are at their peak of ripeness.